Abstract
This thesis discusses the significance of, 'style of life' in the informal organisation and perpetuation of two socio-cultural, privileged middle-class groups, one in Sierra Leone and the other in Britain. It focuses on the processes whereby socialisation in this style of life facilitates the recruitment of members of these groups of these professional-class. The study is presented The Introduction poses - the theoretical problem, that is, the why in which informal mechanisms affect the formal recruitment process. The instrumental significance of 'style of life' in articulating privileged status groups is explored within a general comparative context, this is followed by an analytical survey of the methods employed in the two studies and by a discussion of the sociological links between the two situations. 'Style of life' is first analyzed in term of occupation and occupational mobility together with behaviour patterns, attitudes find group ideologies. It also covers marriage, husband-wife roles, kinship and social network generally'. The different criteria of 'style of life' are discussed in Chapter I for the Freetown setting, and in Chapter 2 for the British setting. In both cases, professionals and non-professionals are treated separately: in the Freetown chapter there is further subdivision between Creoles and non-Creoles, The ways in which the attitudes and ideologies are transmitted and perpetuated through the socialisation process, both formal, And Informal, are than discussed. Chapter 3 gives a description of the formal school system in Freetown and examines the informal processes which operate within this formal system. Attention is also paid to the role of other socialisation agencies, such as the family, the peer group and the church. Chapter 4 examines the formal and informal socialisation process in the same why, within-the British setting The Conclusion contains a summary of the finding within both parts of the 'style of life' and place these findings in a winder social context. The mechanisms employed by each of these groups through their 'style of life' is compared with those used by other status groups. In particular, it pays attention to the instrumental role played by women in intuiting the 'style of life' of these two groups.